Fatboy

If I said to you "Sacco," you'd be likely to respond in one of two ways: "Sock-what?" or "Vanzetti!" To the first, I would repeat myself; to the second, I would tell you that, although Michael Dukakis has proclaimed "that any stigma and disgrace should be forever removed" from those two names, that's not what I meant anyway. I was referring (I would tell you) to the first beanbag chair, released in 1968 by an Italian company, and called "Sacco" (which probably means something very like "sack"). In 2000, talented Finnish designer Jukka Setälä introduced the newest--and possibly the largest--of Sacco's spawn: the Fatboy. Soon the Fatboy, like an autumn salmon, returned to its home and multiplied, so that Setälä's company now offers four models of beanbag furniture. What truly sets these pieces apart from other beanbags (more than just their size) is their versatility. While a normal beanbag very nearly lets you do quite a few things almost comfortably, Fatboys, thanks to their defined shapes, are genuinely useful as multiple kinds of furniture. Whatever your fitness magazines may tell you, we say it's always good to have a Fatboy around the house.